Japan has confirmed its 15-member squad for the upcoming men’s T20I match against India. Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming will lead the team in this landmark encounter, scheduled for September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture. This match marks a significant milestone for Japanese cricket as they face one of the sport’s powerhouses.
India enter the contest as the reigning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions and the No.1-ranked side in the format. The Japan squad selected for the India fixture is the same group that will represent the country at the 2026 Asian Games, which begin in Nagoya shortly after the T20I. Japan’s men’s cricket campaign at the Asian Games gets underway on September 24.
The match will mark the first-ever international cricket meeting between India and Japan.
The India T20I will be part of an important stretch for Japan, with the team also scheduled to play two T20Is against Hong Kong on September 19 and 20. They are scheduled to face Afghanistan on September 24 and Nepal on September 26, with a top-two finish required to advance to the quarter-finals. For Japan, the September 22 encounter provides an opportunity to test themselves against the reigning T20 World Cup champions before beginning their Asian Games campaign.
Following the India clash, Japan will turn their attention to the Asian Games. India, meanwhile, will use the fixture as part of their preparations for the men’s cricket event at the Asian Games, where they are the defending champions.
He will be joined by experienced campaigners Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb, who have also featured in more than 50 T20Is for Japan. Takada first represented Japan at the ICC East Asia-Pacific Twenty20 Championship in 2013. Charlie Hara-Hinze is another player to watch after being part of Japan’s squad at the 2026 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.
Kadowaki-Fleming, Japan’s all-time leading T20I run-scorer, will captain the team. Among the notable inclusions is emerging spin-bowling all-rounder Jake Kusuda-Nairn, who earned his place after impressing in domestic cricket. Veteran Tsuyoshi Takada has also returned to the squad. He featured in Japan’s nine-wicket victory over Tanzania during the tournament.
